Filmmaking Tips : Becoming a Film Director

All that's needed to become a film director is a camera and an actor or a subject. Find out why a director is anybody telling a story using film or video with filmmaking tips from a director and filmmaker in this free video on making movies.

Expert: Jared Drake
Bio: Jared Drake graduated from the UCLA school of theater, film, and television with a focus on directing.
Filmmaker: Jared Drake

[echef]

My dream is to be a film director/editor 😊

[PackCorey]

If I ever become a film director/screenwriter someday my sole purpose would be to bring back the originality and the magic that Hollywood once had. I actually have a handful of raw ideas that I'm putting together right now. For example, I had an idea for a movie that was like a crime-drama mixed with a murder-mystery thriller that was about two young women, one is a hard-edged and unorthodox undercover cop that is infiltrating a drug/sex-trafficking ring in search of a missing girl and the other a straight-laced, by-the-book FBI agent who is assigned to assemble and lead a team of special agents to find and capture a cunning but clever serial killer. The two women's cases/lives eventually collide and they begin to realize that their investigations strangely but coherently connect with one another which causes the two to team up and solve a complex and twisted puzzle of crime and mayhem. They soon discover that both their connected investigations linked to a corrupt mayor running for Governor who has ties with the Mafia and uses them to hunt down the two women when they start getting to close to his tail. The two find other problems on their hands when not only do they have mobsters after them but when one struggles to keep her cover from being blown when the head of the drug cartel becomes  suspicious of her and the other along with her team become targets of the same killer that they are hunting. The film would have some unexpected plot twist that would lead to an explosive and unpredictable ending! It would be neither a happy nor sad ending but you'd never see it coming!

[IGMSItoX]

I thought the same before I entered in one, now it's semester 1 and I learned stuff that I couldn't even imagine were needed for film.

[PyroPisces]

I'm A director/Author/Actress :) These tips don't mean A thing! my tips
1: You Do not need any scripts you could do improvs
2: You can never have to many camra's!!!
3: Don't Try to direct unless you Actually Have A love for filming

[BlackPantherCardi]

Right. Its more about having the skills and having creative people to work with, and having connections.

[xXMercifulFallXx]

Thanks for this video! I'm gonna work on some story and get some friends together to work on it.

[zlaya]

Best place is being in front of the screen, sitting in chair writing down everything you like/dislike. Watching movies over and over again.

I want to become director so desperately, I have already two screenplays written and I'm currently on the half of third. To be frank, no-one read them completely, just some fragments, but this one, my third, I plain to send to some producers in Serbia and try my luck. Beside all that, I have another 10 plots for movies, studying computer engineering. :-)

[RoysWorld]

Not only I want to become an actor, but also a producer, a playwright, and a director. Even though I'm 26, but I'm still want to have a future in the show business. I know it's a tough job, but as a show businessman, I'm gonna have to take risks every time when I doing filiming and what nots.

[MillaHead]

I think the best way of becoming a film director is by making a short film that people notice in film festivals. Of course directing is much like singing, either you can do it or you can't. It's the one thing that is based on creative talent. Therefore, by attending a film school, any aspiring director can get their hands on a crew, equipment, and actors with the same fervor to make movies, and IF the talent is there, you can get an agent and get work. Agree?

[KevalPrajapatiSS]

you dont need to go to film school BUT going there will give you experience and connections.

[eugene]

Funny thing about Hollywood film directors. Some of them are already wearing the 3 hats (producer, writer, director) during the production. Now they want to make a small cameo in the film? What more film credits do they want? Kinda funny if you thing about it.

[Metalx]

I like where that is going! Tell us more.

[PackCorey]

I also had another idea for a war/spy thriller that was about an elite team of intelligence operatives who are assigned to find and rescue a group of American and British hostages who are held captive by the regime of a ruthless and brutal dictator/warlord in Saudi Arabia but their mission is sabotaged by a traitor in the agency and the team find themselves trapped behind enemy lines and hunted by the regime. In addition, a notorious Islamic terrorist organization is also targeting them to avenge the death of their fallen leader. The team find no other alternative but to trust and turn to a disgraced Ex-Force Recon Marine and wanted fugitive, who is hiding in Saudi Arabia under a new identity and occupation as a underground arms smuggler. He agrees to help the team find the hostages and get back home in-return that they help clear his name. With his unorthodox and terrorist-like tactics, he not only leads the team into finding the hostages and escape Saudi Arabia but also helps liberate a city that had been oppressed by the dictator for years but he dies in the process after being fatal wounded at the end but the team of agents that are still alive provide evidence of his innocence. The traitor in the agency is revealed to be the chief officer of their division, who was a mole for the terrorist organization that was associated with the regime but he commits suicide to prevent life in a federal prison. The dictator and his second-in-command go into hiding but his number two ends up being caught and tortured to death by a mob of vengeful Arabian citizens and the dictator himself is killed by a team of Navy SEALs who was hiding in North Africa.

[chrisw]

If you already know the people you need and are confident in your skills, no.
If you need to meet people and like to learn more, yes.

[liquifunk]

cheer up mate! its all about selling yourself

[PackCorey]

I also had one more idea for a movie that was like a Christmas-themed Fantasy-Adventure Epic that takes place in 1880's London, England, where a 13 year old girl and her 6 or 7 year old little brother meet a young elven thief who comes to the city of London at night on every Christmas Eve to sneaks into people's homes and steals their valuables. The girl and boy follow the Elf Thief through a mysterious portal to a lush and mystical dream world where they encounter many strange creatures and lands. The three of them eventually become hunted by the shadowy army of goblins, orcs, and undead soldiers of a dark and sinister wizard king who dominates the dream world with an iron fist. The three embark on a perilous adventure to find a legendary magical artifact that is so powerful that it could not only lead the girl and her brother back home but end the wizard's tyranny once and for all. The film would be narrated by the girl as a very old woman telling the story to her Great-Great Grandchildren tucked in bed, who are visiting her from America with their parents, on Christmas Eve. By the end of the film, The three children kill the wizard and destroy his army and free the land but the girl and boy are sadden to have to say goodbye to the Elf thief, especially the girl, who the girl has fallen in love with him. The two embrace in one last romantic kiss and then the girl and boy head back home, never to see or hear from the Elf thief again.

[TipsyRiver]

Nobody except you.Why would you care about what others think and why believe anyone who says if you are right for the job or not.You should take constructive critisism into account butnot all those haters who think that since they can't do something, you can't do it either.If you want it badly enough you will put time and effort to it and you will succeed.If you kinda want it then you won't.Don't go the safe route and have a life you don't like that's full of regrets and wrong decisions.Be brave

[BrodiesVlogs]

you can go the self taught way, it just helps to go since you will be in contact with professionals

[KortneysAccount]

Flip cameras are great, you don't need expensive big cameras to start. Flips are pretty cheap and look pretty good.

[Jjkuldude]

i want to be a director so bad
i dont even know why it just feels right
8)